NDP calls for committee hearings on upcoming wireless auction

Concerned, it seems, over the increasingly testy tone dominating the
debate over the upcoming spectrum auction, New Democrat Industry critic Chris
Charlton is calling on the government -- or, at least, Conservative industry
committee chair David Sweet -- to embark on late-summer hearings to "ensure ...
long-term competition and access to mobile services across Canada."

After all, she points out, "the Minister has gone so far as to launch a
partisan website and improvise a behind-closed-doors 'national' tour" in response to the aggressive lobbying coming from the
so-called 'Big Three' telecos -- Bell, Rogers and Telus -- against allowing US
wireless giant Verizon to buy its way into the Canadian market.

Despite the looming prorogation of Parliament -- which would temporarily
dissolve existing committees -- "It is not too late to examine recent
developments to ensure that all Canadians will have access to the highest speeds
at the best prices," the missive concludes.

It's worth noting that Charlton's communique to the chair was not accompanied
by an official meeting request signed by four committee members, which would
oblige the chair to convene an exploratory meeting to discuss the proposed
study no later than 5 days following receipt of the letter.

According to the NDP, they're leaving that option open for now. (As was
pointed out to me, there's nothing at all that prevents the chair from calling a
meeting on his own.)

Perhaps more Interestingly, it is difficult to discern from the
letter exactly where the NDP stands on the issue, at least as far as the battle
lines drawn by Moore and the teleco trio. Presumably, that would become clear
throughout the course of the putative committee hearings on the subject.

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About the Author

Kady O'Malley has been covering the Hill for more than a decade (yes, really) for a variety of publications. An Ottawa girl (not quite born, but raised), she has a passion for politics that borders on the unhealthy, and has liveblogged her way through hundreds of committee meetings, press conferences, judicial inquiries, budget launches, cabinet shuffles, and even the odd constitutional crisis. Oh, and yes, her Boston Terrier really is named "BlackBerry."
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